Camperdown - Darlington
Statistical Area - sa2

Camperdown - Darlington has seen population growth performance typically on par with national averages when looking at short and medium term trends

Camperdown-Darlington's population is 9,682 as of Aug 2025. This reflects an increase of 1,350 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 8,332 people. The change is inferred from the estimated resident population of 9,609 in June 2024 and an additional 4 validated new addresses since the Census date. This level of population equates to a density ratio of 5,662 persons per square kilometer, placing Camperdown-Darlington in the top 10% of national locations assessed by AreaSearch. The area's 16.2% growth since the 2021 census exceeded the state (6.4%) and metropolitan area, marking it as a growth leader in the region. Population growth was primarily driven by overseas migration contributing approximately 93.9% of overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch is adopting ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, released in 2024 with 2022 as the base year. For areas not covered by this data, AreaSearch utilises NSW State Government's SA2 level projections released in 2022 with 2021 as the base year. Growth rates by age group from these aggregations are applied to all areas for years 2032 to 2041. Based on demographic trends and latest population numbers, a significant population increase in the top quartile of national areas is forecast, with Camperdown-Darlington expected to expand by 4,084 persons to 2041, recording a gain of 41.4% in total over the 17 years.

The level of residential development activity in Camperdown - Darlington is very low in comparison to the average area assessed nationally by AreaSearch

Camperdown - Darlington has seen approximately five new homes approved annually. Development approval data is produced by the Australian Bureau of Statistics on a financial year basis, totalling 28 approvals across the past five financial years from FY-21 to FY-25. There have been no approvals so far in FY-26. The population has fallen over this period, but development activity has been adequate relative to population changes, which is positive for buyers.

New homes are being built at an average construction cost value of $625,000, moderately above regional levels, indicating an emphasis on quality construction. In FY-26, $1.1 million in commercial development approvals have been recorded, suggesting a predominantly residential focus compared to Greater Sydney where construction is 89.0% higher per person. This constrained new construction usually reinforces demand and pricing for existing dwellings, which is also below the national average, indicating the area's established nature and potential planning limitations. New development consists of 40.0% standalone homes and 60.0% townhouses or apartments, creating more affordable entry points and suiting downsizers, investors, and first-home buyers. Interestingly, developers are building more traditional houses than the current mix suggests at Census, indicating continued strong demand for family homes. The location has approximately 2172 people per dwelling approval, demonstrating an established market.

Future projections show Camperdown - Darlington adding 4011 residents by 2041. At current development rates, housing supply may struggle to match population growth, potentially heightening buyer competition and supporting price increases.

Camperdown - Darlington has very high levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 10% nationally

The performance of an area is significantly influenced by changes in local infrastructure, major projects, and planning initiatives. AreaSearch has identified a total of 35 such projects that are expected to impact the area. Notable among these are the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital Redevelopment, University of Sydney Campus Transformation, Camperdown Modern Private Hospital, and Parramatta Road Urban Amenity Improvement Program (PRUAIP). The following list details those projects likely to be most relevant.

Professional plan users can use the search below to filter and access additional projects.

Camperdown - Darlington ranks among the top 25% of areas assessed nationally for overall employment performance

Camperdown-Darlington has a highly educated workforce with notable representation in the technology sector. The unemployment rate as of June 2025 was 2.6%, with an estimated employment growth of 0.6% over the past year.

In this period, 6730 residents were employed, while the unemployment rate was 1.6% lower than Greater Sydney's rate of 4.2%. Workforce participation in Camperdown-Darlington was 72.1%, compared to Greater Sydney's 60.0%. Leading employment industries among residents include professional and technical services, education and training, and health care and social assistance. Notably, the area has a concentration in education and training that is 1.7 times the regional average.

However, construction is under-represented, with only 4% of Camperdown-Darlington's workforce compared to Greater Sydney's 8.6%. The area functions as an employment hub with 2.1 workers for every resident, hosting more jobs than residents and attracting workers from surrounding areas. Over the 12 months to June 2025, employment increased by 0.6% while labour force increased by 0.7%, keeping the unemployment rate relatively stable. Comparatively, in Greater Sydney, employment grew by 2.6%, labour force expanded by 2.9%, and unemployment rose by 0.3 percentage points. State-level data to Sep-25 shows NSW employment contracted by 0.41% (losing 19,270 jobs), with the state unemployment rate at 4.3%. Nationally, the unemployment rate was 4.5%, with national employment growth of 0.26%. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May 2025 estimate that national employment will expand by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Camperdown-Darlington's employment mix suggests local growth of approximately 7.3% over five years and 14.7% over ten years, although these are simple weighting extrapolations for illustrative purposes and do not account for localised population projections.

The economic profile demonstrates exceptional strength, placing the area among the top 10% nationally based on comprehensive AreaSearch income analysis

Camperdown-Darlington's median income among taxpayers was $65,928 and average income was $86,528 in financial year 2022. This compares to Greater Sydney's figures of $56,994 and $80,856 respectively. By March 2025, current estimates suggest median income will be approximately $72,916 and average income will be around $95,700, based on a 10.6% wage growth since financial year 2022. Census data shows household, family, and personal incomes in Camperdown-Darlington rank between the 81st and 89th percentiles nationally. Income distribution indicates that 32.4% of individuals earn between $1,500 and $2,999 weekly, mirroring regional levels at 30.9%. Notably, 41.4% of individuals exceed $3,000 in weekly earnings. High housing costs consume 21.2% of income, but strong earnings place disposable income at the 82nd percentile nationally. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 8th decile.

Camperdown - Darlington features a more urban dwelling mix with significant apartment living, with above-average rates of outright home ownership

Camperdown-Darlington's dwellings, as recorded in the latest Census, consisted of 4.4% houses and 95.6% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). In comparison, Sydney metropolitan area had 2.3% houses and 97.7% other dwellings. The home ownership rate in Camperdown-Darlington was 17.6%, with mortgaged dwellings at 24.3% and rented dwellings at 58.1%. The median monthly mortgage repayment in the area was $3,000, higher than Sydney metro's average of $2,705. The median weekly rent figure for Camperdown-Darlington was $600, compared to Sydney metro's $550. Nationally, mortgage repayments were significantly higher at $1,863 and rents substantially above the national figure of $375.

Camperdown - Darlington features high concentrations of group households and lone person households, with a higher-than-average median household size

Family households account for 50.4% of all households, consisting of 15.0% couples with children, 29.1% couples without children, and 5.2% single parent families. Non-family households constitute the remaining 49.6%, with lone person households at 33.0% and group households comprising 16.5%. The median household size is 2.1 people, which is larger than the Greater Sydney average of 1.9.

Camperdown - Darlington shows below-average educational performance compared to national benchmarks, though pockets of achievement exist

Educational attainment in Camperdown-Darlington is significantly higher than broader benchmarks. 56.8% of residents aged 15+ hold university qualifications, compared to 30.4% nationally and 32.2% in NSW. Bachelor degrees are the most common at 35.9%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (17.6%) and graduate diplomas (3.3%). Technical qualifications represent 13.8%, including advanced diplomas (6.8%) and certificates (7.0%).

Educational participation is high, with 43.4% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 32.9% in tertiary education, 3.6% in primary education, and 2.8% pursuing secondary education. The area's three schools have a combined enrollment of 181 students. Camperdown-Darlington has typical Australian school conditions (ICSEA: 995) with balanced educational opportunities, including two primary schools and one K-12 school. However, local school capacity is limited at 1.9 places per 100 residents compared to the regional average of 7.7, leading many families to travel for schooling. Note that 'n/a' in school enrolments refers to parent campus.

Transport servicing is high compared to other areas nationally based on assessment of service frequency, route connectivity and accessibility

Camperdown-Darlington has 23 active public transport stops. All these stops serve buses. There are 34 different bus routes operating in the area, providing a total of 8949 weekly passenger trips.

The average distance to the nearest transport stop for residents is 162 meters. On average, there are 1278 trips per day across all routes, which equals approximately 389 weekly trips per individual stop.

Camperdown - Darlington's residents boast exceedingly positive health performance metrics with younger cohorts in particular seeing very low prevalence of common health conditions

Camperdown-Darlington's health outcomes show notable results, with younger cohorts having a low prevalence of common health conditions. Private health cover is high at approximately 63% (6,128 people), compared to Greater Sydney's 69.7% and the national average of 55.3%. Mental health issues and asthma are the most common conditions, affecting 11.3% and 8.8% respectively.

74.2% of residents report no medical ailments, slightly lower than Greater Sydney's 77.4%. The area has 5.7% (555 people) aged 65 and over, lower than Greater Sydney's 9.7%. Health outcomes among seniors require more focus compared to the broader population.

Camperdown - Darlington was found to be more culturally diverse than the vast majority of local markets in Australia, upon assessment of a range of language and cultural background related metrics

Camperdown-Darlington, found more culturally diverse than most local markets, has 22.2% of its population speaking languages other than English at home and 35.4% born overseas. Christianity is the predominant religion in Camperdown-Darlington, comprising 26.5%. Judaism, however, is overrepresented at 0.9%, compared to Greater Sydney's 1.1%.

For ancestry, the top groups are English (22.8%), Australian (19.3%, significantly higher than the regional average of 13.5%), and Other (10.9%, notably lower than the regional average of 16.1%). Notable divergences include French at 0.8% (vs regional 1.1%), Korean at 0.7% (vs 1.1%), and Irish at 10.3% (vs 8.5%).

Camperdown - Darlington hosts a very young demographic, ranking in the bottom 10% of areas nationwide

Camperdown-Darlington has a median age of 27 years, which is lower than the Greater Sydney average of 37 years and Australia's average of 38 years. Compared to Greater Sydney, Camperdown-Darlington has a higher proportion of residents aged 15-24 (34.3%), but fewer residents aged 5-14 (2.7%). This concentration of 15-24 year-olds is significantly higher than the national average of 12.5%. According to the 2021 Census, Camperdown-Darlington's median age has decreased by 1.9 years to 27 from 29 in the previous census. The proportion of residents aged 15-24 increased from 28.4% to 34.3%, while the proportion of those aged 5-14 decreased from 4.6% to 2.7%. Additionally, the proportion of residents aged 45-54 dropped from 10.6% to 8.8%. By 2041, demographic modeling suggests that Camperdown-Darlington's age profile will change significantly, with the 45-54 age cohort projected to grow by 961 people (113%), from 851 to 1,813 residents.